The moment has finally arrived! I've touched upon various superheroes in previous posts, but today I dive into a universe I've been eager to analyze for months. This world is one where 80% of its inhabitants possess superpowers, resulting in a delightful chaos of physics and biology. It’s time to delve deeper into the science behind My Hero Academia. Before we explore how Bakugo manages to avoid serious injuries from his explosions or the thermodynamic principles influencing Todoroki's unique hairstyle, we must establish some core assumptions regarding the functionality of powers in this realm. To start, we must tackle a pivotal inquiry: What is the origin of quirks?

Indeed! The concept that individuals can be born with superpowers is fundamental to the entire narrative, yet our understanding of their mechanics remains scant. We know they emerged suddenly, causing a significant transformation in humanity. There’s also a connection to unique biological elements called quirk genes, which typically mirror the quirks of the user’s parents and tend to degrade like other physical abilities. Additionally, quirks can be erased, transferred, duplicated, stolen, enhanced through training, or boosted by substances and technology. This intriguing lore opens up numerous avenues for theorizing about the nature of quirks and sets the stage for our analysis. In this article, I will share my theories regarding the origins of quirks, their functionality, and the expansive mythology surrounding this anime.

Quirks Present Significant Challenges

Any theory we formulate to explain quirks must confront the fundamental challenges they pose, particularly concerning the laws of physics. There are two primary laws that quirks appear to contravene: the law of conservation of energy and Newton’s third law of motion. Additionally, characters in My Hero Academia can withstand forces that would be lethal in our reality, even without specific quirks designed for durability. While this might seem unrelated to the origins of quirks, I believe there is a logical explanation that connects these phenomena.

The Law of Conservation of Energy

The law of conservation of energy asserts that energy cannot be created from nothing or destroyed entirely. The total energy in a closed system remains constant, which also applies to mass due to the equation E=mc². In My Hero Academia, quirks allow users to seemingly generate both mass and energy from thin air: Todoroki can conjure massive ice structures, Ashido sprays acid like a firehose, and Bakugo's explosions likely require immense quantities of nitro-sweat.

While some exceptions to this law exist in our universe, such as dark energy and the inherent uncertainties in a particle's energy over extremely brief moments, the apparent violations seen in My Hero Academia persist far longer than mere quantum fluctuations could explain. I also find it improbable that characters are storing vast amounts of energy within their bodies or extracting it from their surroundings without causing widespread destruction. There must be a more nuanced explanation at play.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. However, quirks seem to disregard this principle, showing little to no recoil for their users. The forces exerted do not seem to correspond with an equal reaction. For instance, Deku can flick his finger with enough force to shatter a massive ice slab, yet he only suffers a broken finger! This challenges our understanding of forces, suggesting that there is something more intricate at work.

Extreme Durability

Without needing to perform complex calculations, it's evident that the forces involved in My Hero Academia’s superhero battles would easily be fatal to regular humans. This is a common theme in many fictional universes, and I believe there are explanations for it. It’s important to note that characters can endure not only extreme impacts but also intense heat, cold, static forces, strong vibrations, electrical shocks, and corrosive substances. I suspect some unseen mechanism is at work to protect them, originating from the same source as quirks.

Now that we have outlined the physical laws that quirks seem to violate, we can begin to formulate hypotheses regarding their origins that might clarify these apparent discrepancies.

My Hero Academia Exists in a Simulation

This hypothesis is straightforward but could yield profound implications for the broader narrative of the series. In a simulated environment, anything is feasible: pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, superstrength, and even explosive abilities. However, this does not imply a lack of governing physical principles. Simulations operate according to a specific rule set. Notably, the physics in these simulations can vary based on context. Different rules may apply in different scenarios, and there is no requirement for them to align with the physics of the real world. Consequently, the three major issues associated with quirks would not pose a problem if they were indeed virtual.

How does this concept align with our understanding of quirks from the series? Quirk genes could serve as digital markers established by the simulation's creator to determine which powers individuals possess. If two sets of quirk genes combine, such as when quirk users procreate, the resulting combination might be processed by a program designed to assign new abilities. Another program could dictate the limitations certain powers entail and the extent of strain they impose on their users. The simulation’s creators may have integrated these elements to observe how individuals behave when they are aware of their power constraints.

Moreover, the simulation's architects might design a program where frequent quirk usage results in increased abilities and reduced strain. This would enhance the realism of the simulation and foster dynamic interactions between quirk users and their powers. They might also allow specific individuals to duplicate, deactivate, or transfer quirk genes, correlating with the powers Copy, Erasure, and All for One. These abilities could be intended to study behavioral responses when individuals gain control over multiple powers.

Implications for the Story The notion that beloved characters are merely virtual constructs may be unsettling. However, there is no compelling evidence to suggest this is the case. In previous discussions, I explore how entities within a computer simulation can meet consciousness requirements. Under suitable conditions, they could even possess free will. The actions they take would still hold significance for the virtual beings they impact.

The simulation hypothesis also aligns with the world-building in My Hero Academia. The presence of quirks undeniably strains societal structures. What if the entity responsible for this quirk-laden simulation aimed to investigate the effects of superpowers on a less advanced civilization? Perhaps they are advanced aliens gathering data to determine the safety of sharing their technologies. Alternatively, they could be descendants of contemporary humans attempting to comprehend their ancestors’ behaviors and values. Regardless, the actions of individuals in the world of My Hero Academia, especially the main characters, might influence entities both within and beyond the simulation.

If simulations don't resonate with you, consider this alternative...

My Hero Academia Exists in a Multiverse

You may be familiar with the Many Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, which suggests that every conceivable sequence of events occurs in its own version of reality. The term "possible" is crucial here. Quantum mechanics is inherently probabilistic, meaning any event with a non-zero chance of happening should manifest in some reality. If this concept is applicable to My Hero Academia, quirks could simply represent highly improbable yet ultimately feasible physical events, potentially linked to macroscopic quantum tunneling and fluctuations.

Quantum tunneling occurs when particles appear in different locations than previously observed without traversing the space in between. This phenomenon is feasible because each particle has a certain likelihood of being found anywhere. While observable quantum tunneling typically occurs at a nanoscale, the improbability of larger-scale events does not render them impossible. Under the Many Worlds interpretation, even the most unlikely quantum tunneling events should unfold in some reality. Here are examples of how such events could illuminate the nature of quirks:

When Todoroki creates an ice wall, water molecules from across the universe might tunnel to his location and freeze into ice by spontaneously emitting high-energy particles. Subsequently, those particles could quantum tunnel away to avoid creating an explosion around the ice.

When Bakugo generates an explosion, nitroglycerin molecules from various locations might tunnel to his hands, accompanied by high-energy particles that ignite the nitroglycerin.

When Deku smashes an object, high-energy particles from the universe could tunnel to the materials surrounding him, causing them to move or sustain damage as desired.

This reasoning can be extrapolated to nearly all quirks within My Hero Academia. Electrons tunnel to Kaminari, acid tunnels to Ashido, and tape tunnels to Sero. The more complex the material being summoned, the broader the range of substances the quirk user needs to access. Fortunately, in an infinite universe—presumed to exist in My Hero Academia—one can find a plethora of any substance across an extensive range. This range might not be constrained by the speed of light; some experiments suggest it may not be.

It’s worth noting that terms like "summon" and "pull" can be misleading since quirk users aren't genuinely initiating these actions. They are merely attempting to facilitate occurrences as they happen. While this notion might diminish the characters' agency, it effectively clarifies their apparent violations of physics. Quirks don't generate mass or energy from nothing; instead, they derive from elsewhere in the universe. Likewise, the lack of backlash experienced by quirk users is because they aren't actually exerting forces; the forces arise from the random interactions of particles undergoing exceedingly improbable positional changes.

To address how characters in My Hero Academia exhibit such remarkable durability, we can turn to the concept of quantum resurrection. This theory posits that given enough time, any configuration of matter and energy will spontaneously arise from quantum fluctuations, including the revival of deceased individuals. While earlier I noted that quantum fluctuations wouldn’t create energy from nothing, I omitted the potential for mass and energy from external sources to be reorganized through quantum tunneling, as seen in the examples of quirks. Thus, quantum physics might be responsible for maintaining the characters' lives in My Hero Academia. In other words, they could be undergoing a continuous form of quantum resurrection. We just need to allow for an extended timeframe over which tunneling events and random fluctuations can happen within an expansive quantum multiverse.

In this framework, every time a character should be obliterated, their body could be instantaneously reconstructed. As long as this reconstruction occurs swiftly enough to maintain their neurons' activity, they remain unaware of the extent of the damage. Meanwhile, numerous parallel versions of them might actually perish in alternate timelines. This scenario is reminiscent of Eri’s intervention in season four, where she rewinds Deku’s body, despite Sir Nighteye witnessing his demise in another possible future. The Deku we observe exists in a timeline where quantum fluctuations continuously reconstruct his body. This instance of ongoing resurrection differs from others due to Eri’s quirk, which serves as a chain of quantum fluctuations and tunneling events that safeguards individuals from dangers typically exceeding their limits. While there is a randomly imposed threshold for what individuals in this world can survive, Eri’s quirk elevates that threshold.

Side Note: The notion of continuous quantum resurrection also exemplifies quantum immortality, where an individual becomes immune to death based on the specific timeline they inhabit. In My Hero Academia, this concept substitutes total immortality for heightened resilience.

This continuous quantum resurrection could elucidate how quirk users endure external forces, as well as how their bodies withstand the pressures associated with utilizing their own quirks. For instance, Deku's form could be reconstructed rapidly enough to survive significant impacts.

Once more, it’s important to clarify that Deku isn't genuinely exerting forces through his body; rather, particles are spontaneously manifesting around him and applying forces to him.

The spontaneous reorganization of matter and energy through quantum fluctuations might also clarify how quirks transform their users, induce mutations, and impact surrounding people and objects.

As for the physical repercussions quirk users do encounter, under this hypothesis, they would be as random as the quirks themselves. Any random injuries or fatigue experienced would merely appear to be causally linked to their quirks. Similarly, quirk genes would hold little significance; any modifications to them would coincidentally align with variations in a user’s abilities, and attempts to enhance, transfer, duplicate, steal, or amplify quirks would only seem effective.

The idea that the characters in My Hero Academia lack agency over their abilities might be disheartening. Fortunately, I have one final hypothesis that somewhat restores their agency.

The Quantum Quirk Megastructure (QQM)

This hypothesis integrates key elements from the previous two. It posits that the world of My Hero Academia exists within a colossal megastructure designed to endow its inhabitants with superpowers. The civilization responsible for constructing the QQM might share similar motivations with those in our simulation theory. Perhaps they aim to observe how a technologically backward civilization copes with an abrupt influx of unexplained powers. However, creating a QQM would be significantly more complex than establishing a simulation. Therefore, it’s more plausible that the QQM was constructed to grant the architects themselves superpowers. The humans depicted in My Hero Academia could simply be a branch of this advanced race that has forgotten the origins of their world over millions or even billions of years, only realizing there might be a deeper truth to their beginnings once superpowers manifested among them.

The QQM could operate by merging concepts from previous discussions. Essentially, it would utilize advanced technology to meticulously measure every particle within a solar system. It would then extract maximum information about the wavefunction representing its quantum behavior. With this data, the QQM could observe nearly all possible states of the solar system simultaneously, effectively perceiving almost every conceivable timeline within that spatial domain. It could then select which version of reality manifests based on its perspective, the viewpoints of its creators, and those of its inhabitants—the characters of My Hero Academia. Employing a rapid physical mechanism, such as a network of tiny wormholes, it could compel the wavefunction of the solar system to collapse into a state where all phenomena related to quirks transpire: macroscopic quantum tunneling, improbable patterns of quantum fluctuations, and ongoing quantum resurrection.

Processing this information and inducing the wavefunction’s collapse would necessitate tremendous energy and remarkable precision in energy application. The QQM's architects would likely require access to more energy than exists within our galaxy, positioning them as a Type 3 civilization on the Kardashev Scale. This proposition is extreme—My Hero Academia is part of an incredibly advanced civilization's quantum megastructure—but such measures are essential to justify seemingly magical abilities. Any technology responsible for them must be nearly indistinguishable from magic.

Under the QQM hypothesis, quirk genes would serve a similar purpose as in the simulation theory. They would act as markers to track who receives which powers, while a program within the QQM would facilitate the ability of quirk users to enhance, amplify, copy, steal, or transfer powers. Individuals might channel more power by increasing their quirk gene count through training, substances, or specialized technology (quirk genes are never explicitly stated to be part of DNA). They might even acquire new abilities by obtaining or replicating another person’s quirk genes. These features could be preprogrammed within the QQM or represent unique hacks discovered by the characters of My Hero Academia. At the very least, the capabilities to gain strength through training and to experience fatigue or injury from overusing one’s powers would likely be hardwired into the QQM, rendering quirks more lifelike.

Conclusion

Clearly, the universe of My Hero Academia is far-fetched, which adds to its appeal. How would humanity truly respond if superpowers became ubiquitous? I don’t anticipate that the anime or manga will clarify the origins of quirks. Currently, the narrative seems more focused on the direction of superhuman society than its beginnings. Nevertheless, contemplating how quirks might function will prove useful as we explore the science behind their capabilities. Next time: The Physics of Todoroki’s Half Cold, Half Hot. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!

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